1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an actuator and, more particularly, to an integrated actuator apparatus particularly suited for power windows, power roofs and other actuator-operated structures of a motor vehicle.
2. The Related Art
Most vehicles currently sold, including automobiles, light trucks, and sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) are equipped with actuator-operated selectively movable structures such as, for example, power windows and power sunroofs. As is known in the art, the complete actuating subsystem for such structures as power windows and power sunroofs comprises numerous components, each mounted by one or more various brackets and supports within, for example, the vehicle doors, or within the vehicle roof between the headliner and outer body shell. The several components are connected to one another by wires and power translation mechanisms.
FIG. 1 shows a typical prior art actuator mechanism for a vehicle sunroof, having a multi-component arrangement that is exemplary of current design and construction methods. As can be seen, the FIG. 1 example includes an actuator motor 33, a gearbox 4 of the drive unit, a first control harness 6, connected at one end by a first external removable connection 8 to a limit switch (not visible) inside of the gearbox 4, and connected at its other end by a second removable external signal connection 10 to a separate control module casing 12. The assemble further comprises a second control harness 14 connected at one end by a third removable power connection 18 to external wires from the actuator and by a fourth removable motor connection 16 to the control module casing 12. The assembly further comprises a fifth removable main connection 20 for vehicle power and control line connection to the control module casing 12.
Because the typical vehicle structure actuator subsystem, such as the FIG. 1 power sunroof actuator, comprises a number of separate mechanical parts, there are associated immediate costs such as, for example, added raw materials due to many of the individual parts requiring their own housing, assembly time for mounting each of the individual parts to the vehicle and connecting them together, testing to ensure that the assembled collection of parts function as a unit, and the maintaining of a parts inventory.